1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates specifically to a rhythm beating attachment for use with bowed stringed instruments, both acoustic and electric, such as a violin, viola, cello, double bass, and the like encompassing all sizes thereof, including fractional sizes (i.e., 1/64th size to 4/4size). The present invention offers the opportunity for the musician to manually produce percussive sounds with the stick of the bow while simultaneously playing a bowed stringed instrument, both acoustic and electric, without the risk of damaging the cosmetic appearance and/or structural integrity of the instrument. In use, the instrumentalist is capable of manually producing percussive sounds by his own unique and intricate technical manipulations of the bow by intentionally striking and/or scraping the percussion device with the stick of the bow. The instrumentalist does not produce percussion by triggering an actuation device or any other mechanical or electrical impulse, initiated by the instrument player, as is known.
2. Description of the Related Art
A growing trend of bowed stringed instrument performers, especially in the field of Avant-garde music as well as in jazz, country, pop and rock-n-roll, is to strike and/or scrape the body of the instrument with the stick of the bow in order to add percussion to their music, such as during rehearsals, recordings, and performances. However, this striking and scraping of the instrument with the stick of the bow has proven to be severely damaging to the cosmetic beauty and structural integrity of the instrument to the point where the instrument can become unplayable. Therefore, the two primary objects of the present invention are to provide a percussion addition that is easily adapted to solid or hollow bodied bowed stringed instruments that will 1. Produce acoustically enhanced percussive sounds, preferably wooden block and rasping sounds, when intentionally struck and/or scraped by the stick of the bow; and 2. Provide ample protection of the body of the instrument in the regional area where the bow is most easily manipulated by the instrumentalist to strike and/or scrape the instrument; that area being located specifically at the upper left bout region of the violin and viola and the upper right bout region of the cello and double bass. These two primary objects are inseparable in that the intended functions are of equal importance.
While the benefit of adding percussion sounds to bowed stringed instruments has been known for many years with the use of pizzicato, pizzicato string slapping, hand string slapping, colegno, string chopping and knocking the back of the instrument with human knuckles, the prior art does not disclose an apparatus that is easily attached to bowed stringed instruments which is intended and specifically designed to be struck and/or scraped with the stick of a bow by the player to produce several different types of percussive sounds.